San Giacomo of Grosio (1054 m)

At the exit of Grosotto heading towards Grosio, shortly after the bridge over the Roasco, on the left you will find the parking lot at the entrance to the Rock Engraving Park (616 m). Leaving the car, take a dirt road that runs gently into a sparse chestnut grove flanking the left bank of the Roasco, a little-known and very relaxing 'corner' of nature. After passing a tunnel, the road, which slowly begins to climb, goes behind the rock where the San Faustino and Visconti Venosta castles, or Castello Nuovo, stand, then skirts the smooth Rupe Magna where the rock engravings are located. It is certainly worth making a short detour here, and within a few minutes you can admire the important petrographic complex of Grosio (the third in the Alps for number of engravings), with prehistoric depictions dating from the 4th millennium BC to the Iron Age, as well as the two recently restored castles which can be visited (see the sheet on page 94). With a series of wide curves, the dirt road finally gains altitude heading onto the road to Val Grosina near Ravoledo (766 m). Turn left, up to the hairpin bend, then take a steep straight mule track uphill that quickly reaches a group of houses located on a beautiful panoramic knoll. One of the buildings (and you will encounter others during the excursion) is curiously built upwards, narrow and completely of stone, without balconies; a particular architecture slightly different from the typical style of Alta Valtellina. The mule track continues through the chestnut trees, partly getting lost, until it joins a wide dirt road near the houses of Bedognolo (942 m). Passed this small cluster of houses, continue with a pleasant walk reaching the monumental trunk of a chestnut tree, the Bedognolo chestnut tree, actually rather dilapidated, which with a circumference of 12 meters is the largest in the entire province of Sondrio. The ascent continues steadily and quite steeply until reaching the houses located just below the little church of San Giacomo (14th century; 1054 m), situated on the left edge of the road to Val Grosina. From here, in a straight line, numerous mountain pastures and alpine pastures perched on the steep slopes of Val Grosina can be seen. On the descent, from Bedognolo you can stay on the main dirt road to Ravoledo. From the center of the village, turning right, the small road to the Rock Engraving Park and the starting point will be taken again.